Dear Friend of St. Rose-McCarthy Catholic School,

Wow! We’ve been on a roller coaster of a ride this year and it’s not over. So we’re hoping you’ll ride along with us so we can weather the upheavals of the Covid-19 crisis.

During this crisis, I am proud to say our staff and students did an amazing job with online learning. No one got behind in their studies. And we put on a creative and fun drive-through graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020.

For the fall, we are committed to doing everything we can to make sure we reopen safely without sacrificing education.

But we haven’t come out of the Covid-19 crisis unscathed. Far from it.

With respect to financing, we have two big obstacles to overcome. 

First we were directed by the Diocese NOT to plan any large events for the upcoming year! So our Parent Club is unable to sponsor their yearly large-gathering fundraisers like the DeCampos Dinner and Pancake Breakfast. 

The second obstacle is that we weren’t able to mail out our Annual Sponsor Appeal Letter in March.

These two fundraisers account for a significant portion of our budget. 

The Parent Club income supplies a critical part of our budget every year. Generally, they raise at least $100,000. These funds are used primarily for keeping the lights on, the water running, and assisting with teacher salaries.

The Annual Sponsor Appeal campaign provides generous funds for children to attend our school. If you’re a sponsor, you get to sponsor a specific child and correspond with him or her, if both parties agree. It’s been a wildly successful program. 

But it’s not all bad news. With respect to tuition income, we’re holding our own. So far. 

Yes, there’s been an impact. Many families have suffered loss of employment or become under-employed. Others had to pay childcare they normally wouldn't have had to pay. One nurse-mom's hours were cut at her physician-employer’s office, so she won't be able to return her child to school unless she can go back to work full time. 

Despite the above, we are doing better than other Catholic schools in the area. Except for two families, everyone paid tuition through this past school year. Best of all, our enrollment numbers for the fall are up by about 25 students and we’re still taking new enrollments.

But the increase in tuition will not make up for the loss of income from the Parent Club Fundraisers and Annual Sponsor Appeal. 

To help make up for these losses, I am asking you to pledge as generous a one-time donation as you can. You can make the donation at one time or spread it out over ten months. Whatever works for your budget.

If you would like to designate your donation for a particular need, you can do that.

Please remember that many of our families will need more assistance in the upcoming school year as many have lost employment or suffered business losses.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and goodness.

Please keep our school in your prayers. David and I are keeping you and your family in ours.

Yours in Him,

2020–2021 Special Request

Jamie Perkins
Principal

P.S. We are cooking up some creative drive-by fundraising ideas for the year. If you have any ideas of your own please let us know.

Make all checks payable to St. Rose-McCarthy Catholic School

Please include any special instructions such as whether you will pay a specific amount monthly or wish your donation to be designated for a particular use.

Mail to 1000 N. Harris Street, Hanford California 93230

Federal Tax ID: 94-1347028.

To use your credit card, phone (559) 584-5218.